Rhys Berg looks through a homemade eclipse viewing mask at WACF’s eclipse viewing party Monday, April 8. In the 98% totality zone, the sun wasn’t completely blacked out, but the dimming sky and cooling temperature gave the impression of twilight at 3 p.m.

Text and Photos
By Lilli Dwyer
InkFree News

Shadows lengthened and temperatures dipped as the 3:09 p.m. totality time approached at Wawasee Area Conservancy Foundation’s solar eclipse viewing party Monday, April 8.

About 50 people turned out to view the eclipse at the Levinson-Labrosse Lakes & Wetlands Education Center, according to WACF Education Officer Pam Schumm.

The organization provided free eclipse viewing glasses, materials for making pinhole viewers out of cereal boxes, and a variety of eclipse-themed snacks; Sun Chips, Starburst, Cosmic Brownies, Sunny D and more.

“It’s nice of the WACF to provide the opportunity to have a nice place to watch, we appreciate all the people here so much,” said resident Stephanie Szynal.

The area fell in the 98% totality zone, meaning the sun’s rays weren’t quite blacked out. Rather, it seemed like twilight had arrived in the middle of the afternoon. The local wildlife took notice of the dimming sky just as much as the humans did.

“The crickets and bullfrogs started up like it’s sunset, it’s like they just turned on,” noted WACF Development Officer Emily Maggart.

A flock of sandhill cranes, usually active at this time of day, settled in the wetland area off the Jorgensen Amphitheater as if they were bedding down for the night. Maggart also reported seeing a raccoon out and about.

Most of the attendees could recall seeing the eclipse of August 2017, the first total solar eclipse visible in the U.S. since the 1970s. Resident Brenda Cruse recalled seeing that eclipse back in her elementary school days.

“We didn’t have these,” she recalled, referring to the free eclipse viewing glasses. “It was all cereal boxes.” She also noted that students didn’t get the day off school for the eclipse at the time.

Wawasee Schools opted to extend the school day to let students view the eclipse before they had to load onto buses and head home. Kathi Kenworthy, a teacher from Middlebury Schools who attended the WACF’s event, said the corporation switched up their schedule of days off to let students have April 8 free. For the 2017 eclipse, Kenworthy recalled, she got free eclipse viewing glasses from a NASA education program and took her second grade class outside to watch during the school day.

The eclipse served as a memory-making event for many of those present. Resident Tori Mast brought her teenage children with her and the family shared the astronomical event with son Kory Kruse’s eighteenth birthday.

“We used to watch the stars when he was little. I just think it’s sweet it happened on his eighteenth birthday,” Mast said.